The Madman's Overture
by RunIntoTheWoods
Summary: An insight into the past of James Moriarty, and the events that led him to become the world's most dangerous criminal.


It was early. No sound could be heard other than the occasional bird or whooshing of wind, and the park was entirely empty, save for two figures, sat side by side by the edge of a lake.

"So what are your lot like anyway?"

"My lot?"

"Yeah, you know. Family."

James looked across the lake as he played with the lighter that he'd received from his pocket. He sighed and turned to face Sebastian.

"They're . . its difficult to explain" he said, breath coming out in clouds in the cold October air. Seb motioned for him to go on.

"Are they like you?" He asked.

At this James let out a laugh. He thought of Seb's family. Divorced parents, both happily remarried, but other than that, a pretty normal childhood. No screaming arguments, trips to the hospital in the early hours. Comprehending the Moriarty family life would be a challenge for him.

"They're insane" James said at last, turning once more face the lake. He felt Sebastian's gaze linger on him. He trusted Seb. No, not trusted he corrected in his mind. But he was comfortable with him. They were introduced by one of James's first clients, and "got on like a house on fire" which just so happened to be how the same client met his end. Until their meeting, James held a clear barrier in his mind. There were ordinary people, and there were people like himself. Sebastian was the first person to join these two groups, which was surprising seeing as he had no remarkable traits. He was relatively intelligent, but nothing close to genius. He was also remarkably sane, for an assassin of his skill, yet for an unfathomable reason, he intrigued James. Sebastian was about as close to James Moriarty as a person could get, which when he thought about it, was a wonderful and terrifying position.

"My mother killed herself when I was 7" James began, gladly taking a cigarette that Seb offered.

"More pills inside her than a hospital med cupboard. That left the 5 of us." James held the flame to the end of the fag and inhaled slowly. Seb ran a hand through his unruly blonde hair and frowned, a crease forming between his eyebrows. "5 of you?"

"My Dad, Patrick, Me, Ned and Alice" James said, facing Seb. He realised that they had never spoken about family before, and that everything he knew about the background of the man sitting next to him he had deduced. Seb nodded but said nothing, letting James continue in his own time.

"My dad, well. He was a right bastard. Had a theory all the blood in his body was slowly replaced with gin. We moved over here shortly after Mam died. From there the situation deteriorated." James said simply, glancing at the faint scar on his thumb; the only reminder of being thrown into a window after a particularly brutal dispute. He saw Sebastian's eyebrows furrowing once again in concern.

"Oh Seb, dear dear I would love to see through your eyes. Is that Empathy? Sympathy? I doubt its pity, you don't do pity. It was simply violence. That shouldn't be new to you. " He said with a look of mock suprise, before shaking his head smiling.

"Come off it Jim, you're saying your childhood was fine other than the occasional punch up" Seb exclaimed.

"Sounds like a bad thing when you say it like that" James returned. Seb realised by now that he would never fully understand the workings of that incredible mind, and just must be content with the little bits he could pick out.

"What about your brothers? How did they fare?" Seb asked, trying to read James to see if he was pressing the subject too much.

"Well Patrick was a miniature version of father. Vicious, with a certain glee about him for violence."

"Sounds like someone I know" Seb quipped. They both broke into laughter, James's eyes shining at the comment.

"Indeed. Anyway he's clever but not as much as I am. Not meaning to boast but it's completely true." He added, a smirk curling the corner of his mouth. "Got himself locked up for grievous bodily harm and attempted murder. With a tiny bit of thought, some planning, he would have been fine. But no, had to go and get caught, oh it was a laugh." Moriarty shook his head, his brothers failings were no concern of his.

"Ned" he continued "is not like us. He is ordinary." The word hung in the air as Sebastian sucked on the butt of his fag, his expression one of confusion.

"It's quite funny, we made him a trophy once. The only family member not to have been sent to numerous physiatrists. Had a little ceremony for him and everything" James continued, grinning at the memory. "He drives trains now, married to a girl he met in Uni. He moved out as soon as he could, to get away from the madhouse I think." At this Seb barked out a laugh. James turned to him, his face stony, jaw locked eyes blazing "Something amusing?" He threatened, all familiarity gone in a moment.

"Come on don't be like that. Its thought of him, brother to Moriarty, greatest criminal this country has seen, drives the jubilee southbound everyday!"

James's face slowly contorted into a grin and he joined in with the laughter.

"Good for him though for keeping his sanity" Seb said at last. James nodded his agreement and took another drag on his cigarette, the smoke hitting the back of his throat, as he shifted on the bench.

"And your sister, Alison wasn't it?"

"Alice" James said, as he slowly blew the smoke from his lungs, watching it drift into the foggy morning air. Seb watched him intently, sensing something was not quite right.

"She's messed up. Everyone has managed to get out, Ned has his 2 bedroom flat, Pat his cell block, which suits him fine I might add. She's still there. Living with Dad and his newest wife."

"Is she like you and Patrick, or Ned?" Seb questioned. It was clear that he was referring to the state of her mental health, but in the most delicate way he could think of.

"Both. And neither. It's strange. Ned hated killing thing, always kept good care of his pets. Whereas me and Pat, well, I'm sure you can imagine. Suffice it to say that ours never lasted long." James trailed off, his mind working like clockwork, bringing to light each of the family pets who had met their untimely end in his hands, and how it wasn't so different from what he did now. The smirk left his mouth when Seb coughed, bringing him back out of his thoughts.

"Ali was a funny one though. Sometimes she would kill a thing without a care. Other times she'd nurture it, or break its leg to nurse it back to health. For some reason she feels guilty, it's quite funny actually" James pondered. Seb failed to see the humour in the situation, but knew better to say anything. He knew enough about James now to know when to hold his tongue or when to speak up. The first reason James liked him was because he could shoot, and shoot well. Everything else was just pleasantries, he had to remind himself. Consulting criminals did not have friends.

The two men remained lost in their thoughts for a few moments longer, James threw the butt of his fag into the lake and the calm was broken. He jerked his head up and watched as the ripples spread over the surface of the lake.

"Well, you'll have the chance to see for yourself soon enough"

* * *

><p>Hello! This is the first piece of fanfiction I've written, so please tell me what you think, thank you ever so much for your time and I hope you liked it (if not I am sorry!)<p> 


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